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Man pleads guilty in Longmont crash that claimed life of unborn baby

Gary Sheats faces up to 20 years in prison under deal

By Pierrette J. ShieldsLongmont Times-Call

Posted:
02/07/2013 11:36:10 AM MST

Updated:
02/07/2013 01:48:34 PM MST

Gary Sheats, left, arrives for a court appearance, Thursday, Feb. 7, at the Boulder County Justice Center. Sheats is the man accused of causing a DUI-related wreck that claimed the life of an unborn baby and left the baby's mother and grandmother injured.
(Matthew Jonas/Times-Call)

BOULDER -- A man accused of driving drunk and causing a wreck that claimed the life of an unborn baby appeared in Boulder District Court on Thursday and pleaded guilty to two counts of felony vehicular assault and driving under the influence.

Gary Sheats, 54, is scheduled to return to court April 3 for sentencing. He faces up to 20 years in prison under the terms of the plea deal he accepted with prosecutors. He remains out of jail on bond.

Sheats was charged with two counts of vehicular assault, two counts of felony leaving the scene of an accident, two misdemeanor counts of driving under the influence, one misdemeanor count of driving under the influence on a third offense and careless driving. Prosecutors dismissed the balance of his charges under the deal.

Gary Sheats arrives for a court appearance, Thursday, Feb. 7, at the Boulder County Justice Center. Sheats is the man accused of causing a DUI-related wreck that claimed the life of an unborn baby and left the baby's mother and grandmother injured.
(Matthew Jonas/Times-Call)

Sheats was arrested July 5 on the 1200 block of Winslow Circle, after a witness followed him from the crash at 17th Avenue and Pace Street.

Police believe Sheats was a driving a Dodge Durango west on 17th Avenue and turned left onto Pace Street in front of Heather Surovik's white Pontiac Grand Prix. Surovik, 27, was badly injured, and she lost a baby boy, Brady Paul, who was due to be born within days. Surovik's mother, a passenger, suffered minor injuries.

The vehicular assault charges cover Surovik and her mother. Under Colorado law, the baby's loss was included as part of Surovik's injuries and not as a separate individual.

Sheats appeared in court with his family, and several Longmont police officers who investigated the case attended the hearing to watch the plea.

Cmdr. Jeff Satur said they attended to see their work in the case come to fruition.

None of the victims have attended Sheats' court appearances since the crash, but are expected to attend his sentencing.

Heather Surovik, center, her children Jesse, 5, and Skylur, 10, and her mother Terry Koester, second from left, chat with members of the Skyline Kiwanis club of Longmont, after filling out the papers for a 2002 Buick Century, which the club donated to Surovik, at the Pacific Event Center in Longmont in August. Surovik's car was totaled after a July 5 wreck that left her injured and left her unborn baby, Brady Paul, dead. Koester was also injured in the wreck. The accused DUI driver, Gary Sheats, pleaded guilty to DUI and two counts of vehicular assault on Feb. 7, 2013.
(Greg Lindstrom/Times-Call)

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